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Four Teams Interested In Dontrelle Willis

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3:24pm: The Marlins will have to trade for Willis if they want to acquire him, according to Clark Spencer and Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. Willis would prefer to play closer to the West Coast, so it seems unlikely that he would sign with the Marlins if he becomes a free agent.

12:52pm: At least four teams are interested in recently-designated Tigers lefty Dontrelle Willis, tweets Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post: the Diamondbacks, Mets, Brewers, and Marlins.

Arizona's interest was reported yesterday by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, with agent Matt Sosnick noting that Willis would like to play there.  Andy Martino of the New York Daily News wrote that the Mets were not interested in Willis, while Capozzi termed the Marlins' interest in a reunion as "mild."  Today is the first we've heard of the Brewers.  At any rate, it appears that the 28-year-old southpaw will be traded rather than released.

Meyer Remains With Marlins

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TUESDAY: The Marlins outrighted Meyer to Triple A, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, so the lefty presumably cleared waivers (Twitter link). Sosa, meanwhile, has yet to allow a baserunner in two appearances.

FRIDAY: The Marlins will designate Dan Meyer for assignment to make room for Jorge Sosa, according to the team. Meyer, a former first rounder who was part of the Tim Hudson trade, allowed 15 hits and 11 walks in 8.1 innings, striking out four. The 28-year-old left-hander was much more effective last year, when he posted a 3.09 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning in 71 appearances.

Sosa, a 32-year-old right-hander, has yet to appear in the majors this year. He has been starting at Triple A New Orleans since the Marlins signed him last month. Sosa has a 3.78 ERA in 33.1 innings with 7.0 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in the minors.

Indians Claim Shane Lindsay

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The Indians claimed Shane Lindsay off waivers from the Yankees, according to a team press release. It's the second time in the last month that Lindsay has been claimed on waivers; the Yankees claimed him from the Rockies on May 14th. To make room for the 25-year-old right-hander on the 40-man roster, the Indians transferred Grady Sizemore from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.

Lindsay, who was designated for assignment when the Yankees signed Chad Gaudin, did not pitch in a game after the Yankees assigned him to extended spring training. Lindsay began the year at Triple A Colorado Springs, where he posted 11.2 BB/9 and 12.5 K/9. The Australian has always walked lots of batters, but he has some promise. Baseball America praised Lindsay's mid-90s fastball and knuckle-curve in their 2010 handbook

Jack Hannahan Clears Waivers

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TUESDAY, 1:41pm: Hannahan cleared waivers and will head to Triple A, according to a press release.

FRIDAY, 5:37pm: The Mariners have designated Jack Hannahan for assignment, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The move cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for Eliezer Alfonzo, who was selected from Triple A Tacoma.

Hannahan suffered a groin injury in spring training and, despite the Mariners' offensive struggles, was unable to earn a shot with the big-league club this season. Baker writes that Hannahan appeared to be a lock to make Seattle's roster as a utility player, but the 30-year-old hit just .190/.297/.270 in 118 plate appearances for Tacoma.

Pirates Acquire Dana Eveland

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The Pirates acquired lefty Dana Eveland from the Blue Jays for righty Ronald Uviedo, according to a press release.  Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was first to report the Pirates' impending acquisition. 

Eveland, 26, posted a 6.45 ERA, 4.2 K/9, and 5.4 BB/9 in 44.6 innings for the Blue Jays before being designated for assignment on May 23rd.  The Jays had acquired Eveland in February from the Athletics for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Before the '06 season, Eveland was ranked seventh among Brewers prospects by Baseball America – one spot before Nelson Cruz.  BA likened Eveland to David Wells in terms of his build and pitchability.  A statement from Pirates GM Neal Huntington indicated Eveland will join the team's rotation.

Uviedo, a 23-year-old Venezuelan, has a 3.22 ERA, 11.3 K/9, and 4.8 BB/9 in 22.3 relief innings this year for the Double A Altoona Curve.  Baseball America ranked Uviedo 18th among Pirates prospects heading into the '09 season.   BA described him as rail-thin and homer-prone, but praised his fastball and slider.

Brewers Designate Adam Stern For Assignment

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The Brewers designated outfielder Adam Stern for assignment to make room for Kameron Loe, tweets MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  The 30-year-old only appeared in six games.  Last year at Double and Triple A, Stern had a combined .285/.349/.377 line in 546 plate appearances.

Stern was chosen in the '05 Rule 5 draft by the Red Sox from the Braves, but injuries limited his playing time and he didn't fulfill his big league commitment until April of '06.  The Sox attempted to send him to the Orioles for Javy Lopez in August of that year, but the Rays put in a claim and forced Boston to wait until after the season.  The O's ultimately released Stern and the Brewers signed him in January of last year.

2011 Vesting Options Update

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11:33am: ESPN's Adam Rubin explained in a chat today that Cora's option vests with 80 games rather than 80 starts.  Cora is on pace to play more than 90 games this year.

8:32am: We entered the season with nine vesting options to watch, but we're already down to five.  Let's take a look.

  • Trever Miller, Cardinals.  The lefty's $2MM option vests with 45 games.  So far he's appeared in 17 of the team's 52 games, putting him on pace for 53.  Miller appeared in ten games in May and is back on track. 
  • Alex Cora, Mets.  Cora's $2MM option vests with 80 starts.  He's started 19 of the team's 52 games, putting him on pace for 59 starts.  Cora will need to make about 15 starts per month from here on out to reach the target.  His 2011 contract may depend on Luis Castillo's foot problems and reduced playing time against righties. 
  • Darren Oliver, Rangers.  Oliver's $3.25MM option vests with 59 appearances.  He's made 24 in the team's first 50 games, putting him on pace for about 78. 
  • Ramon Hernandez, Reds.  Hernandez's $3.25MM option vests with 120 games played.  He's played in 33 of 52, putting him on pace for 103.  He'll need about 22 games per month to hit the target.  Ryan Hanigan's broken thumb is a factor.
  • Magglio Ordonez, Tigers.  His $15MM option vests with 135 starts or 540 plate appearances.  He's on pace for 156 games and 658 PAs, so even a DL stint wouldn't necessarily prevent Ordonez from locking in his 2011 salary.
  • As a reminder, the vesting options for Brian Fuentes, Billy Wagner, Matt Cain, and Kerry Wood have already been addressed. 

Oliver Perez Refused Minor League Assignment

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TUESDAY, 10:59am: Perez will not be released, tweets SI's Jon Heyman after talking to a Mets official.  Mike Puma of the New York Post says the Mets asked Perez at least twice to accept a minor league assignment.  Puma's colleague Joel Sherman says fans should blame the Mets for the bad contract, rather than Perez for refusing to go to the minors.

MONDAY, 8:04am: Pitcher Oliver Perez refused a minor league assignment from the Mets, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post.  As is typical, Perez's contract gives him that power.  Perez is firm in his desire to remain in the bigs, which has been clear since David Lennon's tweet two weeks ago.

Perez is a waste of a roster spot for the Mets, as manager Jerry Manuel struggled to tell Puma which game scenario would prompt use of the lefty.  Perez is not wanted by his teammates – Puma talked to a pair of Mets who recommend releasing him if he won't go to Triple A.

Even now, after 90 walks in 102 innings since Perez's contract began, Puma says the Mets have not internally discussed cutting the pitcher.  Perez is owed $20.2MM through the 2011 season.  Perhaps he will hang around as long as Omar Minaya does.

The Rays’ Biggest Needs

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The trade deadline is two months away, and it's time to start looking at the needs of contenders.  With the best record in baseball, you wouldn't expect the Rays to have many.

At 5.12 runs scored per game, the Rays rank fourth in the American League.  First base is one possible area to address, as Carlos Pena is down to .175/.299/.350 after a brutal May.  If he doesn't come around in June, the trade market could offer Paul Konerko, Adam LaRoche, and Lance Berkman.  Internally, Hank Blalock hit well in Triple A and the Rays have a couple of minor league veterans tearing it up in Dan Johnson and Chris Richard.

The Rays have mainly been using Blalock as their designated hitter lately.  If they look to make a change, Luke Scott and Travis Hafner could be two available DHs, though it's hard to imagine a Hafner deal given the $36.6MM remaining on his contract through 2012.  A Ty Wigginton reunion could be a low-risk move.  A guy like Jim Edmonds could be rented to DH against righties. 

The Rays appear to have weathered the loss of J.P. Howell, as the bullpen still has weapons like Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, and Joaquin Benoit.  The Rays might even be able to spare Andy Sonnanstine, who won 13 games in '08 and could help a team like the Cardinals or Mets.

Mariners Designate Colome, Texeira For Assignment

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The Mariners designated pitchers Jesus Colome and Kanekoa Texeira for assignment, according to a team press release.  The moves freed up spots for Garrett Olson and Sean White.

Colome, 32, posted a 5.29 ERA, 8.5 K/9, and 5.8 BB/9 in 17 innings this year, allowing only one home run despite a low groundball rate.  The Mariners had signed the hard-throwing righty to a minor league deal in February.  Baseball America ranked Colome the 53rd best prospect in baseball in 2000, a few spots above Adam Dunn and C.C. Sabathia.  The next year he ranked 69th, just beating Francisco Rodriguez and Carl Crawford.

Texeira, 24, has a 5.30 ERA, 6.8 K/9, and 4.8 BB/9 in 18.6 innings, with no home runs allowed.  He was taken in December's Rule 5 draft from the Yankees, so any team acquiring him must keep him on the Major League roster all season.  Before outrighting him to the minors, he'd need to be offered back to the Yankees for $25K.  Baseball America ranked Texeira 26th among Mariners prospects heading into the season, describing him as a deceptive sinker/slider reliever who "could have value in a lower leverage role."  Jack Zduriencik had drafted Texeira out of a Hawaii high school in '04, but the righty did not sign with the Brewers.

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